Olive Festival in Zagreb

The 11th edition of the Olive Festival in Zagreb took place on 28 and 29 March 2026, bringing together numerous experts from the world of olive growing, as well as a wide range of interested visitors.

At the Festival, a total of 323 olive oil samples from Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia were analysed and evaluated. Awards were presented to producers of the highest-quality oils at a ceremonial dinner held the day before the Festival.

The overall champion and winner in the category of blended extra virgin olive oils was the Stranić family farm (OPG Stranić) from Pazin, for its multi-varietal oil (rošinjola, Istrian bjelica, and leccio del corno), which scored 94.80 out of a maximum 100 points.

Second place overall went to Stancija St Antonio from Vodnjan for its blend (buža vodnjanska, leccino, pendolino, Istrian bjelica, and rosignola), with 94.50 points. Third place was awarded to Vinko Milotić from Poreč for a single-varietal oil of Istrian bjelica, scoring 94.30 points; he was also the winner in the mono-varietal category. The winner in the organic extra virgin olive oil category was Stancija St Antonio from Vodnjan, while the best association of olive growers was the Agroturist Association from Vodnjan, whose members achieved an average score of 91.90 points. The best olive mill was Torač Olive Mill from Žbandaj in Istria, which processed ten submitted oils with high individual scores and an average of 92.25 points.

“Although Istrian olive growers rightfully dominated all competition categories this year, we are pleased to see that producers from Dalmatia are increasingly catching up with excellent results. The development of olive growing in Dalmatia is also evident in the growing presence of top producers from that region at the Festival’s exhibition and other events,” said Biljana Ljuban, President of the Festival’s organising committee.

The quality of olive oil was one of the central themes of several expert lectures, including the main panel discussion titled “Olive Oil Quality – from Local Initiatives to Global Recognition.”

During the panel, results were presented from a project aimed at branding premium Dalmatian olive oil under the label “Oleum primum Dalmaticum – ultra virgin”, as well as progress in developing and obtaining approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development for the national quality specification label “Proven Quality – Croatia”.

As part of a “one-on-one conversation” format, branding expert Davor Bruketa also shared his experience with visitors.

“We would like to thank olive growers and experts from across Croatia who, despite challenging weather conditions, made the effort to attend this important event. Through their professional contributions and product presentations, they enabled knowledge exchange and a truly authentic experience for all visitors. We also thank our visitors, whose interest in various topics from the world of olive growing contributed to the lively atmosphere at the Hotel Westin Zagreb. By tasting and purchasing premium products, they provided additional encouragement to many small producers for future success.

At the same time, we are pleased to announce the 12th Olive Festival in Zagreb, which will take place next year in mid-March, and we invite all interested citizens to follow our other activities aimed at educating consumers about the importance of using olive oil,” said Srećko Gross, President of the Zagreb Olive Institute.

All details of the 11th Olive Festival in Zagreb are available on the official website and social media channels.